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MC Research Methods: The Liaison Program

Bridging Data Science and Creative Communication

Learn to translate complex research, facilitate collaboration, and guide projects from discovery to impact.

Welcome to the Course

This program teaches you to be a Communication Liaisonβ€”bridging data scientists and creative teams. Over five phases, you’ll develop research skills and learn to navigate data-driven projects while maintaining clear communication with all stakeholders.

πŸ“– Reference Textbook

For deeper exploration of research methods, refer to the companion textbook:
Vibes to Variables

Quick Start

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New Student? Start Here

Complete your workspace setup and download your Liaison Vault (15 minutes).

Get Started β†’

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View Syllabus

Review course policies, schedule, and grading information.

Read Syllabus β†’

The Five Phases

Our research methods curriculum follows a structured path:

  1. πŸ“° Phase I: The Journalist (Weeks 1-4) - Weekly reading journals and GitHub setup
  2. πŸ—οΈ Phase II: The Architect (Weeks 2-4) - Project setup, GitHub profile, and archive research
  3. πŸ”¨ Phase III: The Builder (Weeks 5-12) - Develop research questions, codebook, and sampling plan
  4. πŸ“Š Phase IV: The Analyst (Weeks 13-15) - Data wrangling, visualization, and statistical inference
  5. 🎯 Phase V: The Publisher (Weeks 16-17) - Create final web portfolio and professional report

Start Phase I β†’

Your Role as a Communication Liaison

As a Communication Liaison, you bridge the gap between:

  • Data Scientists who understand the numbers
  • Creative Teams who understand the audience
  • Project Stakeholders who understand the goals

Your job is to translate, facilitate, and documentβ€”turning complex insights into clear action.

The Five-Phase Journey

This program is structured as a progressive learning experience:

Phase Title Focus Duration
🧭 1 Orientation Your role, program structure, workspace setup Week 1-2
πŸ” 2 Discovery Research methodologies & asking good questions Week 3-4
πŸ“– 3 The Dictionary Codebook creation & variable definition Week 5-7
βš™οΈ 4 Execution Apply methods to real projects Week 8-10
🎯 5 Delivery Present findings & communicate impact Week 11-13

Each phase builds on the previous one. Start with Phase 1 in the sidebar or use the buttons above.

Course Information at a Glance

Instructor: Dr. Alex P. Leith
Meeting Times: MW 15:00–16:15
Office Hours: MW 10:00–11:30 and 13:30–15:00 (or by appointment)

πŸ“„ View Full Syllabus

Ready to dive in? Start with the Setup Guide β€” it only takes 15 minutes to configure your workspace and download your Liaison Vault.

Need the full syllabus? Download the Course Syllabus (PDF)

Let’s build something great together. Welcome to the Liaison Program! πŸš€